The Orange Venezuelan Cory Catfish (Corydoras aeneus "Venezuela") is a natural geographic color variant of the ever-popular Bronze Cory Catfish. It develops increasingly bright orange coloration along its back as it matures. This orange creates a very striking contrast with the metallic blue-green coloration along the sides of the body of the fish. This variant is not often available and can sometimes demand a high price.
The Orange Venezuelan Catfish is a very peaceful schooling fish that is compatible with most nano aquarium animals, including dwarf cichlids and angelfish. It might prey on some smaller dwarf shrimp, but is safe with larger shrimp and most other peaceful ornamental invertebrates. It is a classic scavenger and will inhabit and feed at the aquarium floor, which should be comprised of sand or smooth gravel. Very coarse substrate can damage its delicate barbels and underbelly, so it should be kept in an aquarium with sand or very smooth gravel substrate. This fish is otherwise undemanding as it will accept most dry,frozen, and live foods. It is adaptable to most tropical freshwater conditions as long as standard regular maintenance is performed and sudden changes are avoided. While it is a scavenger, care must be taken to ensure that it receives a good variety of high quality foods and is not simply expected to eat leftover food that other fish do not eat.
RECOMMENDED TANK PARAMETERS:
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Temperature: 22° - 28° C
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pH: 6.0 - 7.5
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KH: 2 - 15 dKH
CARE GUIDELINES:
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Diet: High-quality dry foods as well as live and frozen meaty foods. Variety is essential.
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Social behavior: Peaceful; requires a school of 6 or more to thrive.
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Origin: Tank-Bred, but indigenous to Venezuela
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Average adult size: 6.1 cm
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Average purchase size: 2.5+ cm